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With an infant in arms, two East Coast residents slowly wade through knee-high flood waters brought on by Hurricane Sandy: IOCC Frontliners are responding to the disaster with trauma counseling for storm survivors, and assessing the emerging needs of families impacted by this expansive disaster. REUTERS/Adam HungerOctober 31, 2012

Baltimore, MD (IOCC) — At the request of the Maryland Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) has deployed members of its Emergency Response Network "Frontliners" to a Disaster Recovery Center in Princess Anne, Maryland to provide trauma counseling to survivors of Hurricane Sandy and to assess the emerging needs of families returning to storm-ravaged homes and coastal communities.

As the storm moves further inland, emergency response crews are starting to assess the damage and restore critical services while people try to return to their normal daily lives. IOCC is in contact with the Orthodox Dioceses and disaster response networks throughout the East Coast to assess the damage in local communities. IOCC emergency response personnel will continue to monitor the situation and respond with emergency relief to storm survivors in need.

IOCC has already received initial requests for anticipated shipments of emergency relief items from its ecumenical partners for communities recovering from Hurricane Sandy. IOCC is urging Orthodox Christian parishes to assist by assembling emergency relief items and by making financial donations.

Displaced Syrian youth fill their days volunteering for IOCC and relief partner GOPA (Photo: GOPA)Baltimore, MD (IOCC) Recently, His Beatitude Ignatius IV, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, issued an appeal for humanitarian assistance to all Syrians who have been victims of violence in their country. "Syrians, in spite of their religious backgrounds, have the right to live in their country with pride and dignity. It is important for us as Orthodox Christians to help whoever extends their hand to ask for assistance regardless of their background."

In that spirit, the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), a member of the ACT Alliance, is working in partnership with the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East (GOPA), to respond to the urgent needs of thousands of internally displaced Syrian families. Katia, age 20, is one such person. Her days as a kindergarten teacher in Sabil, Syria, are a distant memory, since eight months ago, she and her family fled their home to escape fighting in the neighborhood, and have been displaced ever since. Left with no job and nothing to do, Katia turned to a local church for guidance, and is now helping assist other Syrians who were driven from their homes by the conflict that has engulfed Syria.

Please join me in praying a rope for the repose of the soul of Khouria Shirley Schneirla, who fell asleep in Christ on Thursday, October 4, 2012, at age 89. She was the wife of the highly esteemed Fr. Paul Schneirla, to whom condolences may be sent via fpwrite@earthlink.net

The daughter of Dorothy Downing Dillon Page and Donald Ormsby Page, Kh. Shirley was born on June 27, 1923 in New York City. A longtime resident of Far Hills and New York, she was the great-granddaughter of John Forrest Dillon, one time chief justice of the New York Supreme Court, and the granddaughter of William H. Page, attorney and a former president of the New York Athletic Club. She received her early education in France and England, attended the Hewitt School in New York, and was graduated in 1941 from the Wickham Rise School in Washington, Connecticut.

Khouria Shirley married William Sutfin Schneirla in June, 1942. Converts to the Orthodox Church, her husband was ordained into the priesthood of the Church and was both pastor for 50 years at St. Mary’s in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and a professor of Old Testament at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. She served on various church, inter-Orthodox, and ecumenical committees and initiatives. She was the mother of Dorothy Downie Orrill (dorrill3@comcast.net) and Peter Christian Schneirla, and the late William Sutfin Schneirla, Jr., and the sister of the late Donald Ormsby Page, Jr. May Kh. Shirley be granted Paradise, and may you be granted long life.

Have you considered supporting the Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch? The "philanthropic arm" of the Archdiocese is an organization of men and women who maintain on an annual basis proper spiritual credentials and financial commitment. It was created to establish an organization of Antiochian laity who would function at the highest level of ministry for Christ and the Church. It is a spiritual movement manifested through financial giving.

Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church's basement venue in SwedenOn October 9, 2012, His Grace Bishop Thomas of the Diocese of Charleston received a missions report from the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church of Göteborg, Sweden. Last summer two Swedish Orthodox Christians, Herman Fields and Mikael Fälthammar, had participated in a two-week residency at the Antiochian Village in Pennsylvania as part of the St. Stephen's Course, in the Antiochian House of Studies School of Orthodox Theology. "We were immensely blessed," wrote Mr. Fields and Mr. Fälthammar, "by meeting many Orthodox brothers and sisters in the United States.

"We want to express a special thank you to Fr. Joseph (Allen), Adn. Peter (Boulukos), Cheri Mullins and all the faculty of the House of Studies," they continued, "as well as to our hosts His Grace Bishop Thomas, and Paul Finley, for all your help and hospitality. We felt rejuvenated and encouraged by two intense weeks of spiritual fellowship and learning."

The rest of the newsletter reported on the work of the Swedish mission. "In the heart of Göteborg, we are very blessed to be able to borrow a basement venue, under a large church.

Lamar University OCF, Beaumont, TXFr. Anthony Yazge, Director of the Antiochian Archdiocese's Department of College Ministry, has asked all Orthodox Christians in parishes, and parents of college students, to submit names of current college students to the Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) database. "OCF, the college ministry of the Orthodox Churches in the United States, is developing and maintaining a database of all Orthodox college students," he noted. "The purpose of this database is to assist the church in keeping our students connected to Christ and His Church.

"Students that are listed in the database will receive regular communication from OCF regarding programs and ministries such as annual College Conferences and Real Break. Their contact information will be shared with the OCF chapters of the schools they are attending and/or the closest Orthodox Church as a means of offering support and encouragement to students while they are attending school. We ask that you visit the OCF webpage to submit your college student's information. Let's keep our young people connected to Christ and His Church!"

His Eminence, Metropolitan Gerasimos, His Eminence, Archbishop Joseph, His Eminence, Archbishop Kyrill, His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin and His Grace, Bishop Maxim, invite all clergy in the West to the Fourth Annual Pan-Orthodox Clergy Advent Retreat

What is "Village at Home"? Antiochian Village's website explains, "In an effort to stay connected to our campers and introduce young people to the camp experience, we have established our Village at Home program. In short, we visit a parish, at the invitation of their pastor, and run a modified day of camp at the parish. We ask the host parish to extend invitations to neighboring churches with hope of exposing as many young people to the Antiochian Village camping program. We recruit former staff members to join us for the day to assist with the program. The day somewhat mimics a day of camp."

The third Sunday of October, October 21, 2012 is Special Olympics Awareness Day (SOAD) across the Antiochian Archdiocese. On Sunday, October 21st, your local teen group will seek financial help from Antiochian parishioners in funding the 2013 Special Olympics Sports Camp to be held at the Antiochian Village August 9-17, 2013. Next summer we will be celebrating our 32nd Annual Special Olympics Sports Camp. This ministry is sponsored by the North American Council of Teen SOYO. Our teens work very hard for this ministry and rely on the generosity and support of the faithful of our Archdiocese and the Order of St. Ignatius.

We Need YOUR HELP!

Please publicize this day. Special Olympics Awareness Day bulletin inserts are attached below, one set for October 14th and the other for October 21st. Please include these inserts in your bulletin. Also attached are a letter to Antiochian clergy and an address to be delivered in church by teens on Special Olympics Awareness day. Your enthusiastic promotion of such a worthwhile ministry will go a long way in producing fruitful results from our faithful.

On October 9, 2012, Ancient Faith Radio (AFR) posted an interview with Carole Buleza, the Antiochian Archdiocese's director of the Department of Christian Education. In the interview, Mrs. Buleza and AFR Operations Manager Bobby Maddex discussed the 2012 Orthodox Institute, the pan-Othodox conference for educators and parish leaders, scheduled for November 1–4th at Antiochian Village in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.

"Why did you choose this theme?" asked Mr. Maddex, referring to the Institute's title: "Culture. Morality. Spirituality. A conference to survey current cultural views, beliefs of the Church, and the challenges facing young people."

"We've had requests to have an entire conference dedicated to understanding moral issues, since the issues pervading our culture are seemingly not in keeping with the Orthodox faith," responded Mrs. Buleza. "We have to understand this culture we live in, and also, we can't appreciate the Orthodox stand on these issues without a real grasp and adherence to our spirituality. These moral challenges are facing our teens, but are also impacting all of us."

Carole explained why each speaker is uniquely qualified to address the issues faced by educators and families today, not the least of which is that each of the featured presenters are parents of teens, and thus are currently dealing in a very practical way with the issues that will be discussed at the Institute. She noted that topics such as social media, transgender issues and homosexuality, substance abuse, and effective communication with youth, will be addressed by the Institute's instructors.

Margaret Abraham, age 83, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 5th 2012. Margaret was born on December 4th, 1928, in Grand Rapids, MI. She was preceded in death by her parents, Nicholas and Rose Howard and her sister, Laurece Kaleel. Margaret will be deeply missed by her husband Wade, an honorary member of the Antiochian Archdiocese Board of Trustees; her children Dan (Kathy) Abraham, former Chair of the Order of St. Ignatius; Marilyn (David) Vaillancourt, Diane (Patrick) Coleman, Linda Abraham, Janet (Mark) Ansara, and her grandchildren, Andrew, Lindsey (Patrick), Maggie, Joseph, Benjamin, George and Rosie. She will also be fondly remembered by her sisters, Mary Howard, Gladys Howard and her brother Dr. George Howard from Charleston, West Virginia, and a large extended family of cousins, nieces and nephews.

Margaret dedicated her life to being a proud and loving wife and mother. She was a life-time member of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church where she served in many capacities. As a devoted and loyal friend to many, she touched the hearts of all who knew her. Margaret brought love and laughter to her church family as well as friends in the community and always reached out to those less fortunate.

Funeral Services will be held 11:00 A.M. Monday, October 8, 2012 at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church, 2250 E. Paris SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. Interment is in Woodlawn Cemetery. The family will greet relatives and friends Sunday at the funeral home from 2-4 & 7-9 pm with a Trisagion Service at 8pm; and also from 10-10:45 am in the chapel at St. Nicholas on Monday. The family wishes that in lieu of flowers, please make donations to St. Nicholas Orthodox Church.

"Oh your mark, get set, go!" Antiochian Village's annual 5K Trail Run will benefit the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania, and many runners have registered to participate in the event, slated for Saturday, October 6, 2012. Special Olympics PA provides year-round training and competition in 23 Olympic-type sports, to more than 20,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities. One hundred percent of the AV5K Trail Run registration fee goes to Special Olympics.

Antiochian Village is an ideal setting for this event. At this time of year, spectacular fall color will welcome runners and walkers of all ages on a moderately challenging wooded course. Prizes and refreshments will be awarded at the finish line.

The run comes just two weeks before Special Olympics Awareness Day, which is sponsored by SOYO and aimed at raising funds to underwrite the Village's summer Special Olympics program.

Registration will be open the day of the Run at 9 a.m. in the Village Conference Center.

YONKERS, NY [SVOTS Communications] Enter the worlds of Narnia, Middle Earth, and Panem on Saturday, October 6, 2012 on the campus of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, as the school celebrates its annual open house and fall festival, “Orthodox Education Day.” This year’s theme—“Inklings of Glory: Godward Journeys with Lewis and Tolkien”—opens doors to literary treasures with Judeo-Christian themes, including the works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, and the blockbuster movie and phenomenal book, The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.

What can crowds expect? Expert presentations about British authors Lewis and Tolkien; an icon exhibit of saints of the British Isles, with a special print display of icons by Sr. Joanna [Reitlinger], instructor of famed iconographers Fr. Gregory Krug and Leonid Ouspensky; Irish dancers from the Inishfree School of Irish Dance; book discussion groups for teens and young adults on The Hunger Games, and for older adults on The Abolition of Man; a concert of sacred music; and a children’s activity tent, with games and handicrafts—plus fabulous international foods!

Services for the day will include Divine Liturgy, an Akathist dedicated to St. Anna (served in front of the weeping icon of St. Anna from St. Tikhon’s Monastery, South Canaan, PA), a Panikhida (memorial service) for departed loved ones, and Vespers. His Eminence The Most Rev. Tikhon, archbishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, will preside at the liturgical services. As usual, the chapel and campus bookstore will be open to the public throughout the day.

Admission to the grounds is free; directions and a full program schedule may be viewed here.

St. Athanasius Orthodox Church in Santa Barbara, California, is hosting their second annual Liturgical Arts Festival on Friday, October 19, and Saturday, October 20, 2012.

The Presenters Scott Cairns—Poet, Author, 2006 Guggenheim Fellow, and Professor; and the Rev. Fr. Andrew Cuneo—C.S. Lewis Scholar (D.Phil, Oxford University), and Professor of English Literature at St. Katherine College, will speak both Friday and Saturday.

The parish will also host an icon exhibit and tours of the church, and both evenings will end with a reception and book-signing offered by the featured speakers.

The festival is produced with the blessing of His Eminence, Archbishop Joseph of the Diocese of Los Angeles and the West.

His Eminence Metropolitan Philip has bestowed the Antonian Gold Medal upon renowned journalist Helen Thomas. For the occasion, a banquet will be held in her honor at Ss. Peter and Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church Hall in Potomac, Maryland on Friday, October 12, 2012. The event will commence with cocktails at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:30.

The evening will feature an invocation by Very Rev. Fr. George Rados of Ss. Peter and Paul, an introduction by Economos Antony Gabriel of St. George, Montreal; remarks by friends of Helen Thomas; the presentation of the Award; and a benediction by Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Rahal of St. George, Washington D.C. Other special guests will include Ambassador Ted Kattouf, Ambassador Clovis Maksoud, Hon. George Salem, Warren David (President of ADC), and former White House Interpreter Camille Nowfel.

Proceeds from the dinner will go to the Antiochian Heritage Foundation in Helen Thomas' honor. For reservations please contact either the Law Offices of Albert Mokhiber at 703-391-9898; or Mona at Ss. Peter and Paul Church at 301-765-9188.

St. Thekla Pilgrimage, 2012Pilgrims gathered for the annual St. Thekla Pilgrimage at the Antiochian Village from September 21-23, 2012, joined by presiding hierarch His Grace Bishop Thomas, and the Abbess of the Convent of St. Thekla, Mother Alexandra. The Pilgrimage began on Friday evening with Great Vespers, followed by dinner, a showing of the Oscar nominated movie "The Help," and a discussion led by Fr. Anthony Yazge, Antiochian chair of the Department of Camping.

On Saturday, the Pilgrimage continued with a Hierarchical Liturgy at St. Ignatius Chapel at the Camp, followed by fellowship at brunch and an afternoon of activities which included workshops and discussion on "The Family and the Media" and "The Sacraments." Pilgrims also attended the Supplication Service to St. Thekla with anointing with oil from the Shrine in Maíaloula, Syria, and enjoyed a Chapel tour with Village Director Paul Finley. Afterwards, there was time for prayer, rest and reflection, and an opportunity to tour the Antiochian Heritage Museum.

St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church of Boston is seeking a full-time Youth Director, who will be responsible for the overall development and implementation of a comprehensive program designed to meet the needs of the children and young adults of the parish. The goal is to offer a sound religious foundation for youth which promotes Orthodox Christian values of worship, fellowship, service and witness.

The Youth Director will work under supervision of the pastor. He or she must be a committed Orthodox Christian, a highly motivated self-starter who understands contemporary youth culture and who will serve as a good role model for the youth. He or she will be interacting with parents, keeping them informed, and encouraging their support and active participation.

The Youth Director will also work closely with the Parents' Guild and volunteer staff, to design strategies which will improve and expand the parish youth ministry, including the recruitment and training of volunteers to assist in coordinating and staffing. The Director will set and oversee a youth ministry budget, as part of the general parish budget.

These young Syrian sisters and their mother sought refuge at a camp located far from the intensifying violence in Syria. More than half of Syria's refugees are children, and in great need of basic care items. (Photo: UNHCR/F. Juez)September 24, 2012

Baltimore, MD (IOCC) Hiba, 5, clings fearfully to her mother’s dress round the clock, and wakes up screaming in the middle of the night. Ever since Sami, 4, and his brother Rana, 2, fled Homs with their mother, loud sounds elicit screams and send them diving for cover under tables and beds. The violence that has engulfed Syria is taking a heavy toll on its children. They make up more than half of the 260,000 Syrian refugees pouring into neighboring countries such as Jordan and Lebanon, according to United Nations estimates. Many arrive with nothing, not even the most basic belongings. International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is attending to the immediate needs of these young refugees and their families with the distribution of emergency relief items such as health kits, infant supplies and bedding.

IOCC Jordan is working with local churches and relief partners to provide basic necessities like diapers, baby blankets and infant clothing to Syrian mothers seeking shelter at Za'atri refugee camp, where 60 percent of the 28,000 refugees are small children and infants.

The 11" X 12" full-color calendar, the latest in a popular series of calendars, features large calendar boxes (1-3/8" X 1-3/4") for recording important date reminders. Major saint and feast days traditionally celebrated in Orthodox countries around the world are listed, according to the New Calendar. The monthly themes are:

Your prayers are requested for the repose of the soul of our brother and concelebrant Fr. Justin Pierce, 84, retired at St. Luke Church in Erie, CO, who fell asleep in Christ in hospice care on Saturday, September 22nd, 2012. Condolences may be sent to Khouriya Patricia and the Pierces' two daughters c/o Hierodeacon Mark Berge of St. Luke/Erie at mark.berge@colorado.edu.

Divine services for Fr. Justin will be served according to the Western Rite at St. Luke/Erie by Fr. John Connely of St. Mark Church in Denver, CO: Tuesday at 6:00PM Vespers for the Dead; Wednesday at 11:00AM Matins for the Dead followed by the Requiem Mass. God being my Helper, I will be present on Wednesday morning to serve a Trisagion before Matins for the repose of Father Justin's soul. After the Mass, a Meal of Mercy will be served by the Ladies of St. Luke at their parish fellowship hall. Interment is scheduled for 2:30PM.

May God grant our brother Paradise. May He grant Khouriya Patricia and the Pierce family consolation. And may He grant you long life.

It is with extreme sadness that we inform you that our beloved brother in Christ, Deacon Howard Shannon of St. Athanasius Church in Goleta, California, fell asleep in the Lord on Friday, September 21, 2012. His Eminence, Archbishop JOSEPH has asked the parishes to remember him in your prayers for the departed for the next 40 days and to hold a special Trisagion for his eternal life. May God receive him in His Heavenly Kingdom and may his memory be eternal.